BLOCKS have been put up around the airfield at Smeatharpe to stop the repeat of an illegal rave that happened there in 2002. Hundreds of revellers, who had been unable to get past new security measures at Glastonbury Festival, gathered at the airfield
NEARLY 300 homes are to be built on the outskirts of Wellington after planning permission was granted this week. Despite concerns from many people in the town, councillors on Taunton Deane Council's planning committee granted outline planning permission
WORK is progressing on the new Wellington Chamber of Trade website. Nigel Dobson, of Welly IT Services, has been working to add content on the site at www.wellingtonchamber.co.uk All members of the chamber can have their details put on the website's business
THE number of teenage pregnancies in the Ilminster area has dropped since 1998, bucking the national trend. According to figures from Somerset County Council, there has been an 18% decline in the number of teenage pregnancies in Somerset since 1998. In
THE number of teenage pregnancies in the Chard area has dropped since 1998, bucking the national trend. According to figures from Somerset County Council, there has been an 18% decline in the number of teenage pregnancies in Somerset since 1998. In 2003
SANTA is once again to sail into Watchet harbour for the town's late night Christmas shopping evening this year. The town is resurrecting the event and putting on the glitz to bring in shoppers and boost the town's trade, as well as its image, after a
TERRY Mote, president of Minehead Barbarians, is hoping a special game of rugby will get him into the most famous record book in the world. Terry was a member of a tag rugby team which played a match at 17,575ft at base camp on the slopes of Mount Everest
MINEHEAD furniture company Penny Pine has been bought by two of its employees. Graham Avis and David Ketchen, who have been key members of staff for several years, have taken over the Mart Road business from owners Paul and Terri Davenport, who are retiring
WHAT should have been a relaxing holiday ended in tragedy last week when a man from Bishop's Hull drowned off the Spanish coast. Painter and decorator Barry Rew-bury, 47, of Farrant Close, had only been in Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca three days when
THERE was Grrrr-8 news for Taunton student Matt Blee this week. Matt, who attends Richard Huish College, was one of the lucky winners of tickets to the Live 8 concert at Hyde Park, London, on Saturday, July 2. A total of 75,000 pairs of tickets to see
THREE sites near Taunton were secretly considered as places to dump radioactive waste in the 1980s, newly released documents have revealed. The sites at the Norton Manor Camp, Langport and Merrifield were short-listed by former Government agency Nirex
THE Taunton-based UK Hydrographic Office has appointed David Palmer as its non-executive chairman. Mr Palmer is director of commercial printing company the Polestar Group; chairman at Spanish commercial printer Dedalo Grupo Grafico; and executive trustee
ADVICE to help students caught up in revision can now be found on a website aimed at taking the heat out of the summer exams. There is advice on revision techniques and how to deal with stress and stay calm during the exam itself. More information found
FORMER Avon and Somerset Chief Constable Steve Pilkington was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday honours list last Saturday. Chris Clarke, the one-time LibDem leader of Somerset County Council, received a knighthood. And magistrate Dr Julie Ruth Richardson
TRAGIC young Taunton cancer sufferer Jamie Rendall is off to Legoland in Denmark next week, thanks to the generosity of local people. Doctors have told the family of the five-year-old, as reported in last week's Somerset County Gazette, he has only weeks
THREE sites near Taunton were secretly considered as places to dump radioactive waste in the 1980s, newly released documents have revealed. The sites at the Norton Manor Camp, Langport and Merrifield were short-listed by former Government agency Nirex
THE Taunton-based UK Hydrographic Office has appointed David Palmer as its non-executive chairman. Mr Palmer is director of commercial printing company the Polestar Group; chairman at Spanish commercial printer Dedalo Grupo Grafico; and executive trustee
TAUNTON has one of the healthiest commuting populations in the South-West. The county town is seventh in UK's healthiest region for commuting with 22.1% of workers either walking or cycling to work. Bristol West came top in the South-West with 30.6% and
TAUNTON man Alan Debenham has confirmed he is again running in the Nationwide Building Society board elections next month. Mr Debenham, of Clifford Avenue, is appealing to eligible members to vote via postal ballot before the annual meeting. He wants
TRAGIC young Taunton cancer sufferer Jamie Rendall is off to Legoland in Denmark next week, thanks to the generosity of local people. Doctors have told the family of the five-year-old, as reported in last week's Somerset County Gazette, he has only weeks
READERS may not realise how many people in the South-West give up their time and skills to ChildLine, the UK's free, 24-hour helpline for children and young people. In the wake of Volunteers' Week (June 1-7) may I thank publicly every reader who has donated
WHEN playing music in pubs and other similar establishments where binge drinking takes place governors should be fitted to regulate the noise levels of the equipment producing the music. If customers cannot converse because they cannot hear each other
I AM writing concerning an incident that took place at the weekend recently. I was leaving the retail park at Hankridge Farm, Taunton, by car after visiting PC World, and after passing the first roundabout I was in a queue of traffic in the left-hand
A SPECIAL meeting is to be set up between residents of Burlescombe and representatives of nearby Westleigh Quarry after a dispute over lorries travelling through the village. A group of residents from Burlescombe have set up an environmental group to
A SITE in the Blackdown Hills was secretly considered as one of the places to dump radioactive waste in the 1980s, official documents have revealed. The site at Dunkeswell was shortlisted by former Government agency Nirex as a possible location to dispose
SEVEN mobile classrooms, a number of which have been classed as unsafe, are to be demolished at Kingsmead Community School, Wiveliscombe, this summer. They are being taken down to make way for a new seven-classroom block, to be built behind the main school
THIS dramatic picture shows how close to disaster 55 day trippers from West Somerset came when their coach ran out of control on a hairpin bend. It was taken by Rosemary Rutter, of Watchet, who was one of the passengers. The 57-seater coach travelling
WATCHET must sparkle if it is to prosper. That's the view of Dave Westcott, the new chairman of the town council, who has launched a push to spruce up the town. Cllr Westcott, who took his place at the head of the town council on Monday evening, said:
YOUNGSTERS cleared hedgerows near their school of litter -- before starting lessons this week. Armed with plastic gloves and rubbish sacks, the children of Dunster First School's healthy lifestyles club, the DASH Club, started work at 7.45am to clear
MINEHEAD lifeboat was launched to tow a Bristol sailor to safety after his yacht was becalmed. The 26ft Revelry 2 had left Pill near Bristol on a cruise of the South West coastline when the solo skipper was caught out by calm conditions at 8.45pm on Thursday
ONE man has died and six others injured following a four vehicle pile up on the Penryn by-pass. Seven fire appliances with 30 firefighters attended the accident parallell with the lay-by at the Falmouth end of the by-pass. The one fatality is not from
A man has died after being hit by a train in Falmouth. The man, believed to be local to the town and in his thirties, died on the Truro to Falmouth branch line at around 1.15pm on Thursday. Police have said he died from initial injuries sustained after
COMMUNITY project Active Exmoor is looking for enthusiastic people who enjoy working with children and love the outdoors to help youngsters taking part in water sports and arts and crafts activities. The events, for youngsters aged from ten to 16, will
CRIMINALS in Bridgwater have felt the might of the town's police at the start of its new "relentless" campaign to stop and track them down. And with the launch of Operation Relentless came a chilling warning to drug dealers in the area from Sector Inspector
POLICE have warned that there's no hiding place for fugitives from justice after a day of busts across Somerset. Officers swooped on homes in and around Taunton in a bid to round up criminals and suspects cocking a snook at the justice system. A total
TAUNTON Deane Mayor Richard Lees, who has been blind since his teens, will be donning sunglasses to encourage people to look after their eyes. Mr Lees is fronting this year's Guide Dogs' Shades Day campaign next Tuesday, when hundreds of people will be
THIS dramatic picture shows how close to disaster 55 day trippers from West Somerset came when their coach ran out of control on a hairpin bend. It was taken by Rosemary Rutter, of Watchet, who was one of the passengers. The 57-seater coach travelling
Chard are back on winning track after a narrow 4 run victory against Frome. In the absence of skipper Dave Slocombe, Mark Tilley led the side and this seemed to inspire him, as he made 49 not out, at a time when the Chard innings was in trouble. For full
THERE was Grrrr-8 news for Taunton student Matt Blee this week. Matt, who attends Richard Huish College, was one of the lucky winners of tickets to the Live 8 concert at Hyde Park, London, on Saturday, July 2. A total of 75,000 pairs of tickets to see
WHAT should have been a relaxing holiday ended in tragedy last week when a man from Bishop's Hull drowned off the Spanish coast. Painter and decorator Barry Rew-bury, 47, of Farrant Close, had only been in Torrevieja on the Costa Blanca three days when
AN outdoor music concert at Somerset County Cricket Club's headquarters has been cancelled because of lack of interest. Chief executive Peter Anderson decided to pull the plug on the Summer Concert at the County Ground, Taunton. The move follows a disastrous
CONSTRUCTION work has started on the site of the former County Garage in Priory Avenue, Taunton, on 22 new apartments and two coach houses. The plot has been the subject of intense and careful investigation by teams of archaeologists over the past six
TAUNTON Deane Mayor Richard Lees, who has been blind since his teens, will be donning sunglasses to encourage people to look after their eyes. Mr Lees is fronting this year's Guide Dogs' Shades Day campaign next Tuesday, when hundreds of people will be
POLICE have warned that there's no hiding place for fugitives from justice after a day of busts across Somerset. Officers swooped on homes in and around Taunton in a bid to round up criminals and suspects cocking a snook at the justice system. A total
CRIMINALS in Sedgemoor have felt the might of the town's police at the start of its new "relentless" campaign to stop and track them down. And with the launch of Operation Relentless came a chilling warning to drug dealers in the area from Sector Inspector
I WAS shocked and saddened to read about the tragic death of young Becky Hope, who was killed after her bicycle was in collision with a car on May 20. My heart goes out to her family. Your article quoted RoSPA's Roger Vincent as saying "Becky's death
IN his letter to Postbag D.B. Jones refers to the bowling crisis at Somerset County Cricket Club. Three seasons ago the county embarked on a disastrous policy of appointing three ageing former Test bowlers, all with histories of prolonged injury problems
